The energy is high on the Carpinteria High football team as it eyes a turnaround season.
The Warriors went winless last season and haven’t won a Citrus Coast League game since 2018. The program has suffered low participation numbers for football. It is going without a JV team for the second straight season.
Fourth-year coach Mario Robinson’s varsity team will feature several players with varsity experience.
“We have 20 returners and we’re looking for them to lead the program in games and practices,” he said.
The defense should be much improved as eight starters return, led by linebacker Erick Trejo and linemen Gabriel Flores (a team captain) and Israel Samaguey.
“We look forward to the defense keeping us in games and making big plays,” said Robinson.
Junior Talon Trumble takes the reins at quarterback. He has shown to be a great leader and has a strong arm, said Robinson.
The veteran Trejo will be the primary ball carrier for the Warriors. Junior returnee Judah Torres and junior newcomers Jason Disjoin and Isaac Flores will see action at running back.
Sebastian Hernandez brings speed, good hands and route running at wide receiver. Troy Zimmerman is a player who has a bright future as a wide receiver,” said Robinson.
The coach is counting on Matt Munoz and Judah Torres to make big plays at the wingback position.
Flores, Samaguey, Pascual Torres, Dylan Gonzalez and new varsity player Thaloc Rivera lead the way on the offensive line.
Robinson saw bright spots from his team in a recent scrimmage against San Marcos, which bodes well for the season.
“We improved our passing, which will help us be more balanced, and we sustained drives and scored.
“We are looking forward to a good season and winning games by competing for four quarters.”
The Warriors open their season on Friday at Calvary Chapel in Santa Ana.
Carpinteria Football At a Glance: Top Returning Players
Name, year, position, height/weight and comment from Coach Mario Robinson
1. Matthew Munoz, Jr. QB, 5-8,170: This is his first year playing football and he has caught on well. He’s very athletic with a good arm. Matthew is also a good baseball player.
2. Sebastian Hernandez, Jr. WR/DB, 5-7, 160: Sebastian has very good speed, always competes and is very athletic. He is going to play a big role in the offense and defense.
3. Erick Trejo, Sr. RB/LB, 5-11 175: Erick is a returning player and a team captain. He has improved his running back skills and is a great tackler. Looking forward to Erick doing great things this year.
4. Gabriel Flores – Jr. C/DL, 5-10, 210: Having him at center is important to the offense. He is consistent and works hard on blocks. Gabriel is also a team captain and leads the lineman with confidence and leadership.
5. Talon Trumble – Jr. QB/LB, 5-10, 210: Talon is a quiet leader but very smart and works hard. Looking forward to seeing Talon improve this year as a first-year starting QB. He also will play a key role on defense as a linebacker.
6. Judah Torres, Jr. RB/LB, 5-8 170: Judah is a smart player and competes. He has a great attitude and catches on quickly. Judah leads by example by pushing the team to be better.
7. Israel Samaguey, Sr, T/DE, 6-2 230: Israel is a returning starter and has improved every year. He is very quick off the ball and has good footwork and hands. Looking for him to anchor the O-line and make big plays on defense.
8. Pasqual Torres, Sr. G/LB, 5-9 205: Pascual has a good attitude and was willing to move to guard this year to help improve the O-line. He has improved his strength in the weight room and is a quiet leader.
9. Dylan Gonzalez, Jr, G/LB 5-10 190: Dylan has worked hard on his strength and has a great attitude. He is going to make a big improvement on the field helping O-line and defense.
10. Cristian Lopez, Sr. T/DL 6-0, 250: Cristian is a returning lineman who will play a big role in getting the run game going. He has improved his blocking and will play a big role on the DL.
Impact Newcomers
1. Jason Dishion, Jr. RB/DB, 5-9 160: Jason has come in and quickly learned the offense and shows good speed. Jason is also a good DB and covers WR well.
2. Isaac Flores, Jr. RB/LB, 5-8, 170: Isaac has improved his speed and has shown a nice burst through the holes. He will play a big role contributing at running back.
3. Yohann Garcia, Jr. G/DL, 5-9, 250: Yohann is a great addition to the team and will help on both sides of the ball.
4. Drew Fillipini, Fr. WR/DB, 5-9, 150: Drew has come in as a freshmen with good hands and will contribute on both sides of the ball. Looking forward to Drew getting better throughout the season.
5. Tlaloc Rivera, Jr. G/DL 5-8, 210: Tlaloc will help anchor the O-line.
6. Troy Zimmerman, Jr. WR/DB, 6-1, 170: Troy is learning and improving every day. As he continues to grow and get stronger, he has a bright future at wide receiver.
7. Nathan Sanchez, Jr. WR/DB, 5-7, 150: Nathan has shown good skill at DB and will help the football team.
Players Receiving Recruiting Interest
Erick Trejo,Israel Samaguey, Matthew Munoz, Pascual Torres
Team Outlook
“We have a very good group of players this year who work hard, have good attitudes and want to improve this year. They understand how important it is to work together as a team and support each other. We must be mentally tough and execute in all phases of the game. The coaches are excited about this group of players and look forward to being competitive and winning.” — Coach Mario Robinson